Scoop

They're one of the most closely watched couples on Earth, so why haven't Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux been seen together publicly recently? According to a source close to the couple, work engagements have been keeping them apart, and given their schedules for the next few months, it might get even more challenging. Theroux, 42, spent the last few weeks working in New York, where he will remain rooted next year to shoot his new HBO drama series The Leftovers. Meanwhile Aniston, 44 - who just chopped her famous locks into a low-maintenance bob and got a new ear piercing - is busy prepping for her role in Horrible Bosses 2, now filming in L.A. The two reunited briefly last week at their Los Angeles home before Theroux jetted to Robert Downey Jr.'s star-studded fete outside San Francisco for his wife Susan's 40th birthday. (According to an onlooker, Aniston was not spotted at the weekend festivities.)

So what does the time apart mean for their highly anticipated nuptials? The couple remain engaged, and in fact Aniston was involved in a swirl of planning with girlfriends in September. But since then, the actress seems to have shifted her priorities. "She had included her friends and seemed excited [about the process]," the source added, but most recently "Jen said she needed to focus on work."

Aniston has also seemingly pulled back on her plans for a family. "There was a lot of baby talk in the past, but she is not focused on it," the source adds. "She's aware her age makes it more difficult. Her attitude is, 'If it happens, great, but if it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be.' "

KATY PERRY & JOHN MAYER

HEADED TO THE ALTAR?

Pop princess Katy Perry, 29, is known for her outlandish outfits, but at the MTV European Music Awards on Nov. 10, it was a small accessory - a sparkling ring on that finger - that had tongues wagging. Has her beau John Mayer, 36, popped the question? While one source close to Perry says there hasn't been any engagement talk, another friend says she "sees marriage as the ultimate destination." The couple, who began dating in mid-2012, have been going strong since reuniting in June after splitting briefly. "The relationship has gotten very serious, especially in the past few months," the Perry friend tells Scoop. "He's a big part of her world and she wants to be married. If John proposes to her, she will 100 percent say yes without blinking."

WINE SHOWDOWN

WHETHER YOUR TASTE IS TOP-SHELF OR YOU PREFER DOWN-HOME DRINKING, THESE TV-SHOW VINOS ARE PALATE PLEASERS

Before a red carpet run-in, Crowe apologized (with a CD and poetry!) for calling him a sellout, but Clooney didn't buy the excuse: "I think he said, 'I was all misquoted,' and I was like, 'Yeah, yeah. Whatever.' "